An association between grain-free and exotic ingredient diets and dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs has raised important welfare and nutritional safety questions.
Dogs developing diet-associated DCM experience progressive heart failure with the welfare consequences of breathlessness, exercise intolerance, and collapse. The association with grain-free diets suggests preventable welfare harm caused by nutritional choices. Owners selecting exotic ingredient diets for perceived health benefits may inadvertently be harming their pets. The welfare priority is preventing diet-associated DCM through evidence-based nutritional guidance. Dogs on grain-free diets showing signs of cardiac disease should have dietary review and cardiac assessment as a priority.